ID thieves have many ways to access your personal information—the trash, your mailbox, computer systems, and stolen credit cards and Social Security numbers. How to protect yourself:
Check statements.
Always review your monthly banking, brokerage, and credit-card statements as soon as they arrive for accuracy. Report problems immediately.
Review reports.
Order copies of your credit reports annually from each [...]
Buying real estate for the purpose of renting to tenants and generating extra income can be lucrative—provided you estimate your costs accurately and invest in the right properties. Steps to take:
Scout locations.
Walk the streets in target neighborhoods and talk to local residents. Ask about area changes, the crime rate, parking, flooding, and street traffic and [...]
The beauty of a 529 education-savings plan is that contributions grow tax-free and withdrawals are not taxed if used for qualified educational purposes. But investors who buy these plans from investment advisers and brokers rather than directly from the plan’s manager or a state’s designated vendor are at a disadvantage. Buying through middlemen could leave [...]
Smart investment planning calls for you to diversify holdings among different asset classes. This asset allocation will depend on your specific situation. But when the allocations rise above or fall below your targets by a set percentage—say, 20%—you need to rebalance to retain your original risk profile.
How to rebalance:
Ideally, you want to invest new cash [...]
